One of the issues, that have caught the attention of the experts and researchers of Qur’an, is the number of the names of this heavenly Scripture. Some say that this Book has 4 names, others believe that it has 40 names, the third group maintains that the Qur’an has 50 names.

There are other people who have said that the holy Qur’an has 66 or even 90 names.

The reason for this difference of opinion might be due to the fact that some experts have differentiated between the names and epithets of the Qur’an. Anyway, we will try to touch upon some of the names of the holy Qur’an in this episode and the next episode.

The first name of the final heavenly Scripture is Qur’an which has been mentioned 68 times in this Book. Interestingly, this name has been mentioned in the ayah that is related to the blessed month of Ramazan which reads, “The month of Ramazan, is one in which the Qur’an was sent down as guidance to mankind with manifest proofs of guidance and the criterion.”

Another ayah which underlines the celestial authenticity of the Qur’an is ayah 19 of surah An’am which reads, “Say, ‘What thing is greater as witness?’ Say, ‘Allah! He is witness between me and you, and this Qur’an has been revealed to me that I may thereby warn you and whomever it may reach.’ ‘Do you indeed bear witness that there are other gods besides Allah?’ Say, ‘I do not bear witness.’ Say, ‘Indeed He is the One God, and I indeed disown what you associate with Him.”

Another name of the Qur’an is Ketab (Book). It is a book that is thoroughly heavenly. It is a matchless book that is able to guide and administer human community and can meet all the needs of mankind in every given domain. In ayah 2 of surah Baqara, we read, “This is the Book, there is no doubt in it, a guidance to the Godwary.”

Throughout history myriads of books have been written by writers and thinkers of various fields. Some of them have been useful while others have been useless and even harmful. Some of them have been useful for a specific people, time or area. Thus, there was no book which would be useful for all peoples and regions in all times. The only book that is universal and comprehensive till the end times is the holy Qur’an. In ayah 92 of surah An’am, God refers to this feature, saying, “Blessed is this Book which We have sent down.”

Hakim (Wise) is another name for the holy Qur’an. The outstanding characteristic of the Qur’an is that the words and purports of this book are definitive and firmly solid. To bear testimony to this fact, God takes oath in the beginning of surah Yasin, “Yāʾ-Sīn! By the Wise Qur’an.” In the first ayah of surah Yunus, also we read, “These are the signs of the Wise Book.”

Among the names and epithets of God are Rahman (Beneficent) and Rahim (Merciful). It means that the mercy of God has encompassed everywhere and everything. The manifest sign of the divine mercy is the Prophet of Islam as he is introduced in ayah 107 of surah al-Anbiya, “We did not send you but as a mercy to all the worlds.” Not only the Prophet but the Qur’an revealed to him is a mercy as it is stated in part of ayah 157 of surah An’am, “Certainly there has already come to you a manifest proof from your Lord.”

In ayah 20 of surah Jathiya, also, God says, “These are eye-openers for mankind, and guidance and mercy for a people who have certainty.”

The history of mankind has always been the scene of confrontation of two groups, namely the divine messengers and their followers on one hand and the owners of power and wealth on the other hand. The holy Qur’an is good news for the believers and Muslims; i.e. those who submit to God’s commands. It says in ayah 89 of surah Nahl, “We have sent down the Book to you as a clarification of all things and as a guidance and mercy and good news for the Muslims.”

Light is the source of life, movement, growth and thriving. It is light that illuminates human’s course. It is light that eliminates darkness. It is light that shows precipices. Another name of the Qur’an is Noor (Light). God says in ayah 174 of surah Nisa, “O people! Certainly a proof has come to you from your Lord, and We have sent down to you a manifest light.”

God elaborates this point in another ayah to further make it clear. He says in ayah 15 of surah al-Maida, “O People of the Book! Certainly Our Apostle has come to you, clarifying for you much of what you used to hide of the Book, and excusing many of your offenses. Certainly there has come to you a light from Allah and a manifest Book.”

Dear listeners, we pray to God to help us benefit from the Qur’an as a light in every sphere of our life. Amen. 

RM/SS